Altogether 313 cases registered against tribal people in eight Naxal-hit districts under excise act will be taken back on recommendation of high level committee meeting chaired by Justice (Retd) AK Patnaik here on Thursday.
Notably, the committee was constituted on the request of Chhattisgarh government for reviewing cases pending against tribal people in the state.
As per official information, along with Justice Patnaik Additional Chief Secretary (Home) CK Khetan, Director General of Police (DGP) DM Awasthi, Additional Advocate General Chhattisgarh high court Viveek Ranjan Tiwari, Secretary (Home) Arun Dev Gautam, ADG/Director Public Prosecution Pawan Deo, Secretary Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development department DD Singh, Commissioner Bastar, Amrit Kumar Khalkho, DIG (Naxal Ops) Sundarraj P, DIG (CID) Sanjeev Shukla along with others also took part in the meeting.
The committee reviewed cases registered in Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Sukma, Dantewada, Bijapur and Rajnandgaon districts. From Bastar district highest numbers of cases were recommended for withdrawl. Out of total 313 cases reviewed, 115 cases registered in Bastar were recommended for taking back, officials said.
Cases registered under various other sections of Indian Penal Code, Local and Special Act were also reviewed. However, withdrawing of those cases will be examined in the next meeting, officials stated.